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Domestic Violence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many refuge places have been available for victims of domestic violence in each of the past three years. [178812]

Yvette Cooper: There were 5,831 units as at 1 April 2003. This figure includes both accommodation in refuges and other forms of provision including floating support services where victims are supported to remain in their own accommodation where appropriate.

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much Government funding was available in each of the last three years to provide refuge places for women who have experienced domestic violence. [178813]

 
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Yvette Cooper: Revenue funding for refuge places is provided through the Supporting People initiative. Information is not readily available for 2002–03 prior to the introduction of Supporting People as funding was provided through a number of different revenue streams.

Supporting People funding is made available by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for local authorities to provide housing related support services to vulnerable people. Priorities are set locally and the proportion of the funding spent on people vulnerable due to domestic violence is a decision taken locally. When funds are spent on those who are vulnerable due to domestic violence then this does not always take the form of refuge based services. Housing related support can also be made available in other ways such as clients being visited in their own homes.

In 2003–04, £1,814,096,410 was made available and of this £57,131,302 was spent on services for people vulnerable due to domestic violence.

In 2004–05, £1,804,997,000 was made available and of this local authorities are spending £56,964,000 on services for people vulnerable due to domestic violence.

In addition, in April 2003 further measures were announced to support refuge provision through capital programmes over a three year period. In 2003–04 a total of £18.8 million funding was provided for refuge places and to improve existing, run down facilities for women who have experienced domestic violence through the Homelessness and Housing Directorate and Housing Corporation programmes. In 2004–05 and 2005–06, a total of £7.5 million has been allocated for this purpose by the Homelessness and Housing Directorate and a total of £5.8 million by the Housing Corporation.

Electoral Registration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much each local authority electoral registration department spent per elector in England in each of the last 10 years, listed in descending order by region. [178421]

Mr. Raynsford: This information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Homelessness

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact prolonged stays in temporary accommodation have on homeless households' ability to access employment opportunities. [178737]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made no assessment of the impact of temporary accommodation on the employment prospects of homeless households. However we are aware of the potentially negative impact that prolonged stays in temporary accommodation can have on homeless households employment prospects and also on their health, well being and children's education.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be commissioning a representative survey of homeless families this autumn. This survey will identify both
 
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the prevalence of unemployment among families in temporary accommodation, and barriers to entering employment.

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring the rent liability for statutorily homeless households placed in temporary accommodation into line with the average rent for social housing in that local authority area. [178739]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to change rent liabilities for statutorily homeless households in temporary accommodation. However, along with the Department for Work and Pensions we are currently discussing possible alternative funding mechanisms for temporary accommodation with the Association of London Government, Greater London Authority and others.

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the London borough of Brent's decision to use some of its dedicated Homelessness Strategy funding to provide enhanced financial incentives to under-occupying tenants moving from family-sized housing to smaller accommodation. [178689]

Yvette Cooper: Homelessness grants from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are intended to supplement core funding received in part from Revenue Support Grant and are no longer ring-fenced. Local authorities have discretion as to how they spend the grant, provided that they deliver key outcomes on homelessness. We are aware that the London borough of Brent has been offering financial incentives to under-occupying tenants moving from family sized social housing to smaller accommodation. This type of incentive can be effective in allowing households to move to smaller and more manageable accommodation. It also releases to the authority larger family accommodation of the type generally required to house homeless families. This can help local authorities in their work to avoid the use of inappropriate temporary accommodation and sustain the government's target to end the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless families with children.

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his Answer of 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 1222W, on homelessness, when he expects to publish research into homelessness among people from black and minority ethnic communities. [178688]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister commissioned research on homelessness among black and minority ethnic (BME) households in February 2003.

A draft report and guide to encourage the development of effective homelessness services for BME households has been produced and are being discussed with a selection of local authorities and other key stakeholders in order to improve the usefulness of the final document. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects a final version of the guidance to be ready for publication later this summer. Copies of both documents will be made available in the Library of the House.
 
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Mobile Telephone Masts

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will reply to the Question tabled by the hon. Member for Meriden on 6 May, reference 172312, on mobile telephone mast sitings. [179258]

Yvette Cooper: I answered this question on 17 June 2004, Official Report, column 1032W.

Affordable Housing (London)

Martin Linton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable homes were built under section 106 agreements by London boroughs between April 2000 and April 2004. [179203]

Keith Hill: The number of affordable homes built under section 106 agreements by London boroughs between April 2000 and March 2004 is as follows.

	Number
2000–01 (outturn)	1,106
2001–02 (outturn)	1,610
2002–03 (planned)	2,560
2003–04 (proposed)	3,917

Source:
"Housing in London 2003", Table 4.3, Greater London Authority

Ordnance Survey

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects the framework document for the Ordnance Survey to be published. [176729]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware that the publication is overdue. The extended timescales reflect the importance that the Government places on the Framework Document for Ordnance Survey. We expect publication to take place before the summer recess.

Postal Voting

Mr. Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will estimate extra costs incurred in preparing for postal ballots for the elections to be held on 10 June, attributable to problems with printing and distribution of ballot papers. [178283]

Mr. Raynsford: Returning officers have the contractual relationship with suppliers of ballot packs. They will be submitting claims for their costs of the all postal ballots to the Elections Claims Unit in due course. When those claims have been received, it will be possible to make an estimate of any costs falling on Returning Officers arising from any problems with printing and distribution.

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